Child&#39;s bootie

ABSTRACT

An infant&#39;s bootie comprising a sole, an upper portion, including a tongue, attached to a toe region of the sole, and a back portion attached to a heel portion of the sole. The back portion is unattached to the upper portion except at the sole, thereby allowing the back portion to be folded down to a level of the sole for easy insertion of the infant&#39;s foot. The material of the bootie may be lined to provide comfortable protection to the infant, and to aid in retaining warmth.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to children's footwear, and moreparticularly to infant booties.

2. Technical Background

An infant's bootie should provide physical protection to the infant'sfoot, keep the foot warm, and be flexible and/or soft enough to becomfortable. Moreover, the bootie must be easy to place and secure onthe infant's foot. Too often, booties cover only the foot and a portionof the ankle region. On the other hand, higher booties tend to makeplacing the bootie on the infant's foot more difficult. What is neededis a bootie that provides warmth and protection, yet facilitates placingthe bootie on the infant's foot simply, quickly and securely.

SUMMARY

In one broad aspect of the invention, a bootie is disclosed comprising asole comprising a toe region and a heel region, a tongue portioncomprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end beingattached to the sole around a periphery of the toe region and forming apocket between the tongue portion and the sole for receiving a wearer'sfoot, a back portion comprising at least one tab pair extending from theback portion, the tab pair having a first closure means for securingtabs of the at least one tab pair each to the other, the back portionattached to the sole around a periphery of the heel region andoverlapping the tongue portion, and wherein the tongue portion and theback potion are attached to each other only at the periphery of the solewhere the back portion and the tongue portion overlap,.

In another embodiment of the invention, a bootie is presented comprisinga sole having a toe region and a heel region, a tongue portion having aproximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being attached to thesole around a periphery of the toe region to forming a pocket forreceiving a wearer's foot, a back portion attached to the sole portionaround a periphery of the heel region and overlapping the tongueportion, and wherein the tongue portion and the back potion are attachedto each other only at the periphery of the sole where the back portionand the upper portion overlap, thereby allowing the back portion to folddown and away from the sole.

Still another embodiment comprises a bootie having a sole comprising atoe region and a heel region, a tongue portion having a proximal end anda distal end, the proximal end attached to the sole around a peripheryof the toe region to form a pocket between the tongue portion and thesole for receiving a wearer's foot, a back portion comprising an elasticmember, a lower tab pair and an upper tab pair, each of the lower andthe upper tab pairs having a first closure means for securing tabs ofthe tab pairs each to the other, respectively, the back portion attachedto the sole around a periphery of the heel region and overlapping thetongue portion, and wherein the tongue portion and the back potion areattached to each other only at the periphery of the sole where the legportion and the upper portion overlap.

These and other embodiment of the present invention will be understoodmore easily and other objects, characteristics, details and advantagesthereof will become more clearly apparent in the course of the followingexplanatory description, which is given, without in anyway implying alimitation, with reference to the attached Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bootie in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A-C are top views of constituent components—sole, back portion andtongue portion, respectively—of the bootie of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bootie in accordance with anembodiment of the invention for the opposite foot as that illustrated inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bootie of FIG. 1 illustrated withthe back portion folded down and away from the sole.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shortened bootie in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation andnot limitation, example embodiments disclosing specific details are setforth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention.However, it will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art,having had-the benefit of the present disclosure, that the presentinvention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from thespecific details disclosed herein. Moreover, descriptions of well-knowndevices, methods and materials may be omitted so as not to obscure thedescription of the present invention. Finally, wherever applicable, likereference numerals refer to like elements.

For clarity, terms such as right and left in referenced to a figure,unless otherwise noted, refer to the right or left side of the figure aslooking at the drawing. Similarly, unless otherwise indicated, “facing”refers to the side of the figure on the visible, facing side of thedrawing (out of the paper), while “back side” refers to the side of afigure which is not visible (i.e. into the paper). Wherever possible,dashed (i.e. phantom) lines are used to denote features which arelocated on a non-visible portion of the figure, but are neverthelessshown to provide guidance to the reader.

Shown in FIG. 1 is bootie 10 in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention comprising sole 12, tongue portion 14 and back portion16. As best shown in FIG. 2A, sole 12 includes toe region 18 and heelregion 20. Because bootie 10 is primarily designed as infant wear (e.g.non-walking child), it is not a requirement for bootie 10 to have thesupport and protection afforded by a stiff sole as in the case of atoddler, or older children. Accordingly, sole 12, shown separately inFIG. 2A, is supple, and may be made from the same material as tongueportion 14 and back portion 16. However, sole 12 may optionally have anon-slip or non-skid material applied, or otherwise formed on the bottomof sole 12 should bootie 10 be worn by a walking wearer (e.g. toddler).

Edge 15 of back portion 16, shown in FIG. 2B, is attached to sole 12,such as by stitching, around a periphery of heel region 20 to pointsapproximately mid-way between the toe and heel regions of sole 12. Thatis, back portion 16 is attached to sole 12 around region 20 toapproximately line AB (to the points where line AB crosses the peripheryof sole 12). Methods of attaching back portion 16 to sole 12 other thanby stitching include gluing, such as with a hot-melt glue or otheradhesive suitable for joining the material of boot 10.

Tongue portion 14, best shown in FIG. 2C, comprises proximal end 22 anddistal end 24. Proximal end 22 (e.g. proximal end 22 from point E topoint F) is attached to sole 12 around toe region 18 to approximatelyline CD (to the points where line CD crosses the periphery of sole 12).Thus, tongue portion 14 and back portion 16 overlap at approximatelymid-way between toe and heel regions 18, 20 (i.e. along line segments 26a, 26 b) but are unattached to each other except along line segments 26a, 26 b where tongue portion 14 and back portion 16 attach to sole 12.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2B, back portion 16 furthercomprises lower and upper tab pairs 28, 30 comprising left and rightlower tabs 28 a, 28 b and left and right upper tabs 30 a, 30 b,respectively, extending from the back portion. Both lower and upper tabpairs 28, 30 include a first, primary closure (attaching) means 32 forattaching the tabs each to the other and thereby securing the bootie tothe wearer's lower leg and foot. That is, a method of removablyattaching left lower tab 28 a to right lower tab 28 b is provided for.Similarly, closure means are provided to removably attach left upper tab30 a to right upper tab 30 b. The method of attaching the tabs each tothe other (method of closure) may include, for example, hook and eye,hook and loop, buttons, snaps, and other closure means as areconventionally known and used. As can be seen from FIG. 1, when one tabof a tab pair is attached to the opposite tab of the same tab pair, onetab overlaps the other.

In a preferred embodiment, closure means 32 comprises hook and loopmaterial, such as that marketed as Velcro®. As evidenced in FIG. 2B, forexample, hook and loop material closures are illustrated, wherein thehook material is located on one or the other of the facing or back sideof the right or left tabs of back portion 16, while the loop material islocated on either the back side, or facing side, respectively, of thetabs of back portion 16, opposite that of the hook material. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 1, the hook or the loop material is located onthe inside of the tabs visible in the figure, and indicated by dashedlines. This convention is followed in FIG. 2B where the hook or loopmaterial on the facing side is shown in solid lines, and the hook orloop material on the back side is shown in dashed lines. As will beapparent to one skilled in the art, the choice of which part (loop,hook, button, hole, etc.) of closure means 32 goes on which tab islargely arbitrary, or set by custom or convention, e.g. gender-related.

Sole 12, tongue portion 14, and back portion 16 (i.e. bootie 10) may befabricated from any suitable material that provides flexibility andwarmth. For example, bootie 10 may be made from supple leather (e.g.calf skin), denim, corduroy, faux leather, etc. Moreover, it is notnecessary that each constituent component of bootie 10 be fabricatedfrom the same material. In some cases, bootie 10 may be lined with alining material to both protect an infant's foot from contact with theouter material, such as if the outer material is rough, and, moreimportantly, to keep the infant's foot and lower leg (to the extent thelower leg is covered by bootie 10) warm. For example, bootie 10 may havea fleece or fleece-like lining, although other lining materials may beused as desired. An insulating lining material, such as Thinsulate™,available from the 3M company may be included, for example.

Advantageously, the attachment of tongue portion 14 and back portion 16to sole 12 such that tongue portion 14 and back portion 16 are connectedto each other only along line segments 26 a, 26 b on the periphery ofsole 12 makes it possible to fold back portion 16 substantially flat,i.e. down to sole 12, as illustrated in FIG. 4, without interferencefrom tongue portion 14, and facilitates easy insertion of the wearer'sfoot into bootie 10. By substantially flat what is meant is that ifbootie 10 is placed sole-down on a flat surface, back portion 16 can befolded down to lie substantially on the flat surface, taking intoaccount that back portion 16 is attached to sole 12 about a curvedportion of the sole (i.e. heel region 20), and therefore can not lieperfectly flat. However, the ability to fold back portion 16 almostcompletely flat and away from sole 12 is particularly beneficial whenthe wearer is a small infant and not always cooperative when beingdressed.

To aid in securing bootie 10 to the wearer's foot, an optional elasticmember 34 may be incorporated in back portion 16. Elastic member 34 maybe elastic thread, an elastic strap, or other similar elastic memberwhich may be used in the fabrication of clothing. Elastic member 34 istypically attached to or incorporated into back portion 16 by stretchingelastic member 34 and stitching the stretched elastic member 34 into thematerial comprising back portion 16. When released, elastic member 34contracts from its stretched or elongated condition, thereby forming arestricted opening about the wearer's ankle. Elastic member 34 isincorporated (e.g. stitched) into back portion 16 such that elasticmember 34 substantially encircles the wearer's ankle when the boot is ina secured or closed condition. That is, when the upper and lower tabpairs are attached to one another, respectively. This is preferablyfacilitated by incorporating elastic member 34 at a level on backportion 16 that is just below lower tabs 28 a, 28 b. By substantiallyencircles what is meant is that when bootie 10 is placed on the wearer'sfoot and the tabs of the upper and lower tab pairs are attached one tothe other, only a small gap exists in the elastic member over the upperarea of the wearer's foot.

As described briefly above, tongue portion 14 extends from proximal end22, attached to sole 12 to form a pocket for the wearer's foot, todistal end 24. When bootie 10 is closed about the wearer's foot, tongue14 forms a soft shield between the overlap of the fastened areas of backportion 16 (e.g. lower and upper tab pairs 28, 30), and helps to encasethe wearer's lower leg within the bootie. Preferably, both the tongueand the back portions extend upward to about equal heights from thewearer's foot.

In some embodiments, another optional, supplemental closure means 36 ofsecuring bootie 10 to the wearer's foot may be utilized. As shown inFIG. 4, closure means 36 may comprise a loop 37 attached to one or moreof the tabs which is ultimately configured on the outside of the closedbootie, and a corresponding anchor, e.g. button or hook 38, located onbody region 40 of back portion 16 to which loop 37 may be secured oranchored. An example of this supplemental or secondary closure means isshown in FIG. 3. Of course, it will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that loop 37 and button or hook 38 may be used in conjunctionwith one or the other of tab pairs 28, 30, or with both tab pairs. Thatis, in accordance with the present embodiment, two sets of loops andbuttons (or hooks) may be employed. It should also be apparent that thelocation of anchor 38 and loop 37 may be switched if desired, with loop37 attached to body 40 and anchor 38 attached to a tab.

In some embodiments, upper and lower tab pairs of back portion 16 may beeliminated or more appropriately stated, upper and lower tab pairs 28,30 may be merged such that the edges 42 a, 42 b of back portion 16extend generally straight. Closure of bootie 10 of this presentembodiment may be accomplished similar to the previous embodiment. Forexample, Velcro strips may be incorporated into each edge 42 a, 42 b ofback portion 16. Alternatively, discrete fasteners, such as theaforementioned loop and button approach, for example, may be employed upthe front of the bootie, or zippers or laces may be employed.

In other embodiments, back portion 16 may be shortened as illustrated inFIG. 5, thereby eliminating upper tabs 30 a, 30 b. In this shortenedversion, lower tab pair 28 a, 28 b may or may not include supplementalclosure means 36.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of thepresent invention, particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations andmodifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of theinvention without departing substantially from the spirit and principlesof the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended tobe included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the presentinvention and protected by the following claims.

1. A bootie comprising: a sole comprising a toe region and a heelregion; a tongue portion comprising a proximal end and a distal end, theproximal end attached to the sole around a periphery of the toe region,forming a pocket between the tongue portion and the sole for receiving awearer's foot; a back portion comprising at least one tab pair, the atleast one tab pair having a first closure means for securing tabs of theat least one tab pair each to the other, the back portion attached tothe sole around a periphery of the heel region and overlapping thetongue portion; and wherein the tongue portion and the back potion areattached to each other only at the periphery of the sole where the backportion and the tongue portion overlap.
 2. The bootie according to claim1 further comprising a second closure means for attaching a tab of theat least one tab pair to a body of the back portion.
 3. The bootieaccording to claim 2 wherein the second closure means comprises a loop,and an anchor member selected from the group consisting of a button or ahook.
 4. The bootie according to claim 2 further comprising an elasticmember incorporated into the back portion.
 5. The bootie according toclaim 1 wherein the bootie is lined with a lining material.
 6. Thebootie according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of tab pairs.7. A bootie comprising: a sole having a toe region and a heel region; atongue portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal endbeing attached to the sole around a periphery of the toe region toforming a pocket for receiving a wearer's foot; a back portion attachedto the sole portion around a periphery of the heel region andoverlapping the tongue portion; and wherein the tongue portion and theback potion are attached to each other only at the periphery of the solewhere the back portion and the upper portion overlap, thereby allowingthe back portion to fold down and away from the sole.
 8. The bootieaccording to claim 7 further comprising at least one tab pair extendingfrom the back portion.
 9. The bootie according to claim 8 furthercomprising a first closure means for attaching tabs of the at least onetab pair each to the other.
 10. The bootie according to claim 9 furthercomprising a second closure means for securing a tab of the tab pair toa body of the back portion.
 11. The bootie according to claim 8 furthercomprising an elastic member for securing the back portion about anankle of the wearer.
 12. The bootie according to claim 8 wherein thesole comprises a non-skid material covering at least a portion of abottom surface of the sole.
 13. The bootie according to claim 8 whereinthe bootie is lined with a lining material.
 14. The bootie according toclaim 7 wherein the bootie comprises a plurality of tab pairs.
 15. Abootie comprising: a sole comprising a toe region and a heel region; atongue portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal endattached to the sole around a periphery of the toe region to form apocket between the tongue portion and the sole for receiving a wearer'sfoot; a back portion comprising an elastic member, a lower tab pair andan upper tab pair, each of the lower and the upper tab pairs having afirst closure means for securing tabs of the tab pairs each to theother, respectively, the back portion attached to the sole around aperiphery of the heel region and overlapping the tongue portion; andwherein the tongue portion and the back potion are attached to eachother only at the periphery of the sole where the leg portion and theupper portion overlap.
 16. The bootie according to claim 15 furthercomprising a second closure means for attaching at least one tab of thetab pairs to a body of the back portion.
 17. The bootie according toclaim 15 further comprising a lining material for lining an insidesurface of the bootie.
 18. The bootie according to claim 15 furthercomprising an elastic member incorporated into the back portion.